Copper issue at center of water district race

MURRIETA -- The small Murrieta County Water District hasn't made
many headlines in its history, but growth in western Murrieta has
triggered several issues in the past two years.

The first involves a nagging problem of high copper levels in a
new housing district. The second arose when growth in the area
finally forced the small district to start importing water, raising
fears that rates would have to rise to cover the costs. Until last
year, the district had been able to survive on ground water.

The district serves 2,200 customers within 6.5 square miles west
of Interstate 15, and expects to grow to 12,000 customers by the
year 2020.Three candidates are vying for two seats on the
five-member water district Board of Directors Nov. 4.

Brenda Dennstedt, a resident of Murrieta Ranchos, the
development with elevated copper levels, is challenging incumbents
Steve Gorchoff and Mike Matteson for a position on the board.

Elevated copper levels

Dennstedt is a former law enforcement officer who hopes to put
an end to the elevated copper problem, which so far has baffled
district officials and defied efforts to control it.

"The first order is to correctly identify the problem,"
Dennstedt said.

State Department of Health Services engineer Steve Williams said
it is difficult to identify what is causing the rise in copper.
Water district General Manager Wayne Spencer contends the excess is
from the copper pipes the tract's developer used.

Don Alexander, a project manager for home builder Curtis
Development, says the company used copper piping that is standard
in almost all new home construction. He blamed the district's
corrosive water.

The district is using a phosphate treatment with the expectation
that it will coat the copper pipes in the development, Spencer
said. Results from four months of treatment have been mixed. Copper
levels dropped in some affected homes and rose in previously
unaffected homes.

Dennstedt said the district needs to take a step back. She said
she does not know how the district can work on a problem it has not
properly identified.

Gorchoff and Matteson are optimistic the phosphate treatments
are working to combat the elevated levels of copper.

Dennstedt said the district also needs to do a better job
reaching out to the public during challenges such as the copper
level problem. Residents who live in her tract complained the
district was slow getting information to them about the problem and
efforts to combat it.

"The water district is a public agency and the public has a
right to know how public funds are used and what decisions are
being made," Dennstedt said.

Matteson, a 25-year member of the water board, said the district
did not try to hide anything regarding the elevated copper levels.
Federal and state laws mandate the district to turn over any
detrimental information to the public, he said.

The district is testing the copper levels and has made that
information public. The district will continue to test copper
levels, probably for many years when everyone else has forgotten
about the issue, Matteson said.